HARVARD GAZETTE ARCHIVES

Harvard Presidents Throughout History

1640-1845

Henry Dunster (1609-1659) Term of office: 1640-1654. Education: Magdalene College, Cambridge University, England (B.A. 1631; M.A. 1634). Professional background: Clergyman, educator. Immediate past position: Schoolmaster and church curate in Bury, England.	Benjamin Wadsworth (1670-1737) Term of office: 1725-1737 (died in office on March 27). Education: Harvard College (A.B. 1690; A.M. 1693). Professional background: Clergyman.
Charles Chauncy (1592-1672) Term of office: 1654-1672 (died in office in February). Education: Trinity College, Cambridge University (B.A. 1614; M.A. 1617; B.D. [Bachelor of Divinity] 1624). Professional background: Greek lecturer at Trinity; vicar to several English churches. Immediate past position: Minister in Scituate, Mass.	Edward Holyoke (1689-1769) Term of office: 1737-1769 (died in office on June 1, not long before his 80th birthday, making him the oldest to serve as Harvard President). Education: Harvard College (A.B. 1705; A.M. 1708). Professional background: Clergyman. Immediate past position: Pastor to a church in Marblehead, Mass.
Leonard Hoar (ca. 1630-1675) Term of office: 1672-1675. Education: Harvard College (A.B. 1650; A.M. 1653); Cambridge University, England (M.D. 1671). Professional background: Ecclesiastical posts in England, biblical scholarship.	Samuel Locke (1732-1778) Term of office: 1770-1773. Education: Harvard College (A.B. 1755; A.M. 1758). Professional background: Clergyman. Immediate past position: Pastor in Sherborn, Mass.
Urian Oakes (ca. 1631-1681) Terms of office: Acting President, 1675-1680; President, 1680-1681 (died in office on Aug. 4) Education: Harvard College (A.B. 1649; A.M. 1652). Professional background: Ecclesiastical posts in England, grammar-school headmaster, orator. Immediate past position: Minister in Cambridge, Mass.	Samuel Langdon (1723-1797) Term of office: 1774-1780 Education: Harvard College (A.B. 1740; A.M. 1743). Professional background: Clergyman. Immediate past position: Pastor in Portsmouth, N.H.
John Rogers (1630-1684) Term of office: 1682-1684 (died in office on July 12) Education: Harvard College (A.B. 1649; A.M. 1652). Professional background: Assisted (without ordination) his brother-in-law William Hubbard’s ministry and practiced medicine (without medical training) on parishioners in Ipswich, Mass. Immediate past position: Presumably as above.	Joseph Willard (1738-1804) Term of office: 1781-1804 (died in office on Sept. 25). Education: Harvard College (A.B., 1765; A.M. 1768). Professional background: Clergyman. Immediate past positions: Pastor of the First Parish, Beverly, Mass.; first corresponding secretary (1780) of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Increase Mather (1639-1723) Terms of office: Acting President, 1685-1686; Rector (a unique title), 1686-1692; President, 1692-1701. Education: Harvard College (A.B. 1656); Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland (A.M. 1658). Professional background: Pastor of North (Second) Church, Boston, Mass. Immediate past position: As above (Mather continued his Boston pastorate during his 16-year Harvard executive term).	Samuel Webber (1759-1810) Term of office: 1806-1810 (died in office on July 17). Education: Harvard College (A.B. 1784; A.M. 1787). Professional background: Clergyman. Immediate past position: Hollis Professor of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy (Harvard).
John Leverett (1662-1724) Term of office: 1708-1724 (died in office on May 14) Education: Harvard College (A.B. 1680; A.M. 1683). Professional background: Lawyer, judge, legislator, provincial envoy. Immediate past position: Provincial Councilor, Eastern Maine.	John Thornton Kirkland (1770-1840) Term of office: 1810-1828. Education: Harvard College (A.B. 1789; A.M. 1792). Professional background: Clergyman. Immediate past position: (Probably) Pastor of New South Church, Boston, Mass.
	Josiah Quincy (1772-1864) Term of office: 1829-1845. Education: Harvard College (A.B. 1790; A.M. 1793). Professional background: Lawyer (with service in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Massachusetts Senate). Immediate past position: Mayor of Boston.

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